Make roadways safe for everyone

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign's annual analysis of pedestrian fatalities for people age 60 and older, released on Wednesday, again points to the need to improve pedestrian safety, particularly on and near state highways, where a disproportionate number of pedestrian deaths occur.

From 2009 through 2011, 38 pedestrians were killed on Ocean County roads. According to the new report, while Ocean County saw a slight decrease in fatalities among those 60 and older, it nonetheless ranked as the 10th most dangerous county in the state for pedestrians in that age group. In the 2012 report, the county was the sixth most dangerous.

Monmouth County saw a slight rise in fatalities among those 60 and older, and its ranking in the state increased from 14th in last year's report to 12th in the latest analysis. Overall, 26 pedestrians died on Monmouth County roads from 2009 through 2011.

Of the 64 pedestrian deaths during that period in Ocean and Monmouth counties, 10 occurred on Route 9. Another eight pedestrians died on the Middlesex County stretch of Route 9. Statewide, 440 pedestrians have been killed on the roadways from 2009 through 2011.

That is an unacceptable toll.

While the lack of sidewalks is not solely responsible for pedestrian deaths, their absence is a major contributing factor. Other measures needed to improve safety include clearly marked crosswalks and countdown signals for crosswalks.

State Department of Transportation officials say they have installed more pedestrian infrastructure and note that the pedestrian safety budget was increased to $4 million. That isn't nearly enough.

While the DOT has developed a policy called Complete Streets, which requires a road to be designed with facilities for all users when it is rebuilt, so far only five counties and 60 municipalities have adopted such a policy. Far fewer have implemented it.

And while the DOT requires sidewalks in "complete reconstruction" projects, it does not include them in repaving projects, such as the upcoming $37 million work planned for Route 9 between Woodbridge and Manalapan. That is a lost opportunity to make that stretch of the road safer.

The problem certainly is not limited to state highways. Municipal and county planning boards should insist on sidewalks, even in the face of opposition from residents, in all new construction and road reconstruction. Good sidewalk systems, which connect to schools, shopping and recreation areas, not only can improve pedestrian safety, but add to a community's quality of life.

Pedestrians need to obey traffic laws and exercise caution while navigating dangerous roadways. But they should not be subjected to the unnecessary risk of getting from Point A to Point B without sidewalks and safe crossing areas.

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Make roadways safe for everyone

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign's annual analysis of pedestrian fatalities for people age 60 and older, released on Wednesday, again points to the need to improve pedestrian safety,

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